For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Are You Suffering From Angina? See The Doctor If You Are Experiencing Discomfort In Your Heart

This article discusses about angina: its causes, symptoms and treatment.

By Lekhaka

Do you often feel a pressure or a discomfort in your chest? You might be having angina. This discomfort happens when you do not have enough blood flowing to parts of your heart. It's a symptom of a heart ailment and occurs when something blocks the arteries.

Though angina is largely a warning, it still can be a grave warning and you need to rush to the doctor at once and find out how serious the problem is. Besides medicines, angina can be dealt with the help of lifestyle changes or surgery.

Causes & Symptoms Of Angina

Types Of Angina:

Angina can be of various types:
1. Stable angina which is the most common form of angina and can be triggered by physical stress. It generally lasts for a few minutes. See a doctor whenever you experience it.
2. Unstable angina can happen when one is not very active. This can be longer in duration than the first as well as recurring. Unstable angina can be a signal of an imminent heart attack.
3. Variant or Prinzmetal's angina is rare and can happen during sleep at night. This can be very painful, nevertheless.

Causes & Symptoms Of Angina

What Causes Angina?Angina is caused by heart ailments. The building of plaque in the arteries blocks the blood flow to the heart muscle, forcing the heart to function with less amount of oxygen, which causes pain. Blood clots in the arteries if the heart can also cause heart attacks. Other causes can include a blockage in a major heart artery, tearing in the aorta's wall, etc.

Symptoms Of Angina:The symptoms of angina may include burning, discomfort, uneasiness, breathlessness, pressure, pain in the chest bone, which can spread to other parts of the body like shoulders, neck, throat, jaw, etc.

Causes & Symptoms Of Angina

Treatment Of Angina:If the extent of the ailment in your heart is not that bad, a little change in lifestyle and medications can improve things by curing the symptoms. Generally, medication for angina includes drugs that widen the blood vessels to help a better flow of blood; reducing the pressure on the heart. If medications don't help, then one has to go for surgery to open the blocked arteries.

Quitting smoking and alcohol and all food items that cause damage to the heart must be considered. Besides, making use of stress-relieving measures and following a proper diet for the heart, including fruits and vegetables is very essential. Reduce the intake of salt and fatty food as well.

Story first published: Friday, November 18, 2016, 15:52 [IST]
Read more about: heart disease symptoms